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FLORESCU Margareta and POTCOVARU Ana-Mădălina
FAMP
CCASP LOCAL DEVELOPMENT’S INFLUENCE ON THE FREEDOM OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
IN LOCAL COLLECTIVITIES IN ROMANIA

Beginning with 2007 when Romania acceded to the European Union, Iaşi became the biggest city at the

Eastern part of the Union, right at the border with the former Soviet Union. Due to its geographical location,
Iaşi displays an increased potential to become a bridge between Western and Central European cuntries
and the Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. Unfortunately for the city, Iaşi is placed within the most

underdeveloped region of Romania, although is one of the largest cities in the country and the main
economic center for the Eastern part of the country, the North-East Development Region, historically
lagging behind other regions of development in the last decade (Popescu, 2011). Within this context of

declining regional economy and deindustrialization, a phenomenon that appeared after the fall of the
communism, Iaşi stands as the engine of economic growth for the entire County of Iaşi and North-East

Region as well.

Usual for the majority of cities inside the European Union, Iasi developed a trategy based on the 2014-
2020 hoeizon and takes into account the existing gaps at territorial level in comparison with other major

cities in Romania, not to mention the EU. Thus, three main development levels were identified, each with
its own development path, complementarily with the strategic vision for transforming Iasi into an economic
hub in medium and long term (Local Council, 2013).

The first objective is directed towards improving the infrastructure, connectivity and accessibility, thus PROCEEDINGS OF THE 11 TH ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ”Strategic Management for Local Communities” 30 th – 31 st October 2015 Bucharest
ensuring access to good-quality public services and utilities networks and improving connectivity within
the county, as main measures in providing support for the private entrepreneurial sector’s development

and improving the citizens’ overall quality of life, the latter being a drawback point for Iasi, when compared
with Timisoara or Cluj. At the same time, by investing more in infrastructure, Iasi can benefit on the
opportunity provided by its strategic location, in eastern Romania and could strengthen its position as a

gateway to Moldova and further to Ukraine, but also to become an import hub for different merchndise
imported from these two non-EU countries (Popescu, 2011).

The second objective is strengthening the city's economy through economic diversification and

encouraging entrepreneurial development, focusing espacially on small and medium enterprises, Iasi
lacking the big investments made by foreign companies that was seen in other western cities in the
country, as well as trying to attract new large investments to the whole Iaşi County (Local Council, 2013).

However, particular attention will be given to the sectors most likely to generate the most economic, these
activity sectors being the pharmaceutical industry and medical services, machinery, installation and

equipment manufacturing, metallurgical industry, and especially IT and communications industries (these
industries don't need the kind of infrastructure that other producing industries consider to be vital and look
away because of this lack of infrastructure), car and car parts manufacturing, textile industry, farming and

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